As the new China World building ramps up to full power, more and more of the promised F&B heaven venues are opening their doors. Amongst the newer openings is F Bistronome on the 7th floor. With the know how of Brasserie Flo in the kitchen and a view of Beijing that one day will be quite nice (at the moment you get to look at a few buildings still under construction), F Bistronome has all the hallmarks of being a great new destination. Read on to see how it shapes up.

Brasserie Flo is one of the Beijing stalwarts and it’s no secret why they’ve not only maintained a strong reputation, but they’ve continued to expand their brand with various locations across the city, offering different menus at different price points. While each “Flo” restaurant (by the FLO group) has its own unique style (which is evident in the restaurant ambiance and menu), each concept always produces quality food, professional service and a sophisticated environment. F Bistronome is no exception.

Located on the 7th floor of the new wing of the China World Mall in Guomao, it’s gorgeous with plush couches, a glowing bar area and large chandelier centerpiece. As noted above, the floor to ceiling window views can showcase the CCTV tower (from certain angles), but is generally unfortunate at the moment because all you get to see is a collection of soon-to-be skyscrapers taking shape, oh and the 3rd ring road. This is especially the case with their outside dining terrace where all the buildings in view are under heavy construction. *cough*

Aside from that though, the interior is slick and stylish and the staff are confident and well-trained – my only qualm is that when we arrived at 17:00 (before their dinner rush), they said all the tables closer to the windows were all reserved even though many were still empty by the time we had paid our bill and left (around 19:30). As we were among their first guests for dinner, service was pretty smooth considering they were newly opened.

LDS Snapshots of F Bistronome:

Entrance View on the 6th Floor of China World Mall

Plush Couches & A Pretty Chandelier

Glamorous, Glowing Bar Area

There she is – CCTV in all her glory (I wanted to sit here)

F Bistronome’s Outside Terrace

Terrace Views

The menu at F Bistronome is a tour of French classics. Every region of France is represented and they haven’t skimped on the wine list either. Get ready for a headache choosing your dishes. #firstworldproblems

We had a look at the set menus which are pretty good value. One set menu is priced at RMB 498 for 8 dishes to be shared between 2 pax inclusive of 3 starters, 2 mains, 1 side and 2 desserts. The more premium set menu is priced at RMB 788 for 12 premium dishes to be shared between 2 pax including 3 oysters, a charcuterie platter, 4 starters, 2 mains, 2 sides and 2 desserts.

While the set menus were tempting, we decided that we wanted to sample a few specific dishes from the a la carte menu that were not on the pre-set menus.

LDS Snapshots of Dishes at F Bistronome:

A complimentary fresh baguette is served in a long paper bag alongside soft butter to spread. As a proper French meal should begin!

Snail in Choux Pastry with Herb Butter (RMB 48)

Escargot is the reason why we decided to come to F Bistronome when we did. This is a strong craving I tend to have every now and again. For those who are freaked out by the idea of eating snails, escargot might be less intimidating when served in a puff pastry. The presentation was cute and the concept was intriguing, but we felt like this dish was lacking garlic. I like my escargot dripping in garlic and olive oil.

Steak Tartar, Crispy Waffle Potato (RMB 85)

We started with the steak tartare and the charcuterie board. The tartare is accompanied by some fabulous potato waffles and the meat itself is very good quality.

Plateau de Charcuterie (RMB 82)

The charcuterie board was also great value – not entirely French here though – they snuck in some Italian Parma ham and some Spanish Chorizo alongside the traditional paté. Still a lovely plate for a relaxing afternoon and good value too.

For our main course, we had our eyes on the Côte de Veau. Presented in a beautiful dish, the food was equally delicious. Tender veal accompanied by roasted vegetables that had soaked up all the juices, it is pure comfort food.

We also ordered a couple of sides, the gratinated vegetables aka ratattouille and the balsamic braised mushrooms.

Gratinated Provençal Vegetable, Parmesan (RMB 38)

Balsamic Braised Parisian Mushroom (RMB 38)

The mushrooms were a little flavourless, which was disappointing as I love balsamic vinegar, but the gratinated vegetables were gorgeous. Crispy on top with a tomato sauce, they come highly recommended.

Grand Marnier Soufflé, Marinated Orange, Vanilla Ice Cream (RMB 78)

Finally we gave in to the propaganda and ordered the Gran Marnier Soufflé that had been talked up so much in the menu.

“Le soufflé is definitely the dessert you must-try! Airy, ethereal, tender and delicately flavored with Grand Marnier. The classic French confection has to be ordered at least 30 minutes in advance as it is cooked to order. Good things are always worth waiting. Enjoy your soufflé adventure with F Bistronome!”

While it was as delicate and fluffy as promised, this dessert was somewhat underwhelming in our opinion. I think this is partly because Grand Marnier isn’t a favourite of mine. In spite of the pretty presentation, it lacked a je ne sais quois.

Overall, F Bistronome is a new restaurant worth trying in the CBD. It has a wide menu that will cater to all tastes and the service is professional.

While we were satisfied with our meal at F Bistronome, I personally prefer a more casual dining atmosphere. Bistro 108 provides similar quality food at a much lower price point. Obviously, the two restaurants are targeting different demographics, but if you’re seeking comfort French food at great value, Bistro 108 will be your best pick!